I walked into the hall; it was dark but lit (as usual). Just the way it is every time I went. Sometimes I wonder if my boss had to get some internal decorator to do the designs forhim. I found myself walking through the passage. For a person this old, He/It did not have any desire for painting or any form of art. The art he knew or was familiar with wassimple and that was what I was here to handle. I went to the first door and it openedby itself as though it has a special sensory capability (but I know better). Immediately I stepped in, I got the feeling. The feeling I always get when I go see the Boss. The minions all around you feeling you, touching you probing your heart, brains and mind to see if you are carrying or hiding something.Typical you might think because all Bosses who deal in power have the thought that their staff might betray them and mine was not different. It has trust issues and I don't blame it. After all, I have done in the past 6 months; I doubt It will trust any thing again. Not even the minions, which He/It trusts.I will explain the minions later because they on their own are a separate story all together. I continued walking, as the minionsare not the type to spare you if they suspect you are hiding the slightest thing. I went to the second door and again it opened. The way this door opens always amuse me. You walk up to it and it just vanishes into thin air, I always find it amusing but today, I was in trouble and little things like vanishing doors could not put a smile on my face.I wanted to enter but I could not move I knew this effect was coming from me (I was scared). I looked up and there It was in his"normal" form, appearance and glory. Glory because if an artist could draw this, it will be the best picture he has ever seen. However, of course that artist will die or run mad before the pencil even touches the paper.There it was bent down and looking into those scrolls. Those were the scrolls, which got me in this mess, and I knew It Knows. I stood there for more than five minutes just watching It. There were once rumours that the book itself emanates from Him/It or a higher authority. However, who will ask? There are worse things that death you know.I still stood head almost bowed, legs itching, heart pounding and fear present when I heard that voice. The voice comes as always the same way. It comes at once and stops.I look in the direction of the source and It looked up at me. There It was cladded in a garment as dark as blackness without any part of this flesh or skin (if he has any) revealed. The voice took the form of words inmy head as usual and I started making it out"I am the end of all mortal,The coldness that burns your heart,The inevitability of all things,The oldest of elements…I am the one who calls and all mortal answers,The one who takes and has never given,The one who wipes a smile and compound sorrows,I am the one who maintains the balance and who records it.I am the REAPER. The Grim Reaper.”

With that, I fell to my kneels, all thoughts wiped out and all concerns stopped.He continued

"I am the first punishment and the only one you can't fight. The only way you must pass and the one from which there is no escape""Your lord, master and owner""raise your eyes and see me"

I looked up into that black hood and instead of a face, I saw noting just a stare that was filled with suffering, agony and contempt, no eyes but two fiery dots in the midst of the dark. I felt It go through me and I felt Its essence run through my being. I looked again and saw the soulless daze It had on me.

Yes my name is Peter and I am standing in front of my boss the GRIM REAPER also know as DEATH............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I had never liked the way It communicatedwith me. It made me shiver, but that was howit was with the others and we all have to livewith this or not.

The voice came again and this time it camewith the urgency and pain. Pain which I stillhave not found the words to explain it with.The meaning took form in my head“why did you do it”?“why did you try to break the cycle which hasbeen since the time of creation”?“and why did you think I would not find youwhat you did”?I tried to open my mouth to speak in my owndefense but my mouth was dry and void ofwords as I closed it back.

I started to look upbut with great difficulty and saw that It hadbent towards the scrolls once again. Istruggled to get up on my feet and after greatdifficulty, I was up. My gaze fixed on thecreature bowed in front of me which had allthe power in the universe to end my life butwould not. At least not yet.

The voice came again “you have seven days to find her and bring her to the grand entrance else I will come take her by myself”

I tried walking towards it but it was restraining me and I could feel the invisible partition. It must have been put in place before approaching there.

Another sound came into my head but this was unlike the voices it use to communicated with me. Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled and I was lost to darkness.I woke up panting, sweating and scared out of my mind on the floor of my room. How I got here, I did not know but I knew what I saw was not a dream. I just saw the Boss andhe has just given me an ultimatum. I had to find the girl who I have loved all my life andkill her or else, he was going to send another agent to find her and kill her.

I managed to drag myself to my bed, put a pillow beneath my head and I tried to see my choices.

Her name was not on my Boss’s list and thatcould mean whatever or whoever he will besending after her might have some difficultyfinding her because right now, she does notexist to them. She is an anomaly, somethinglike an error and she had to be removed by allmeans.

I laid down waiting for sleep to take me but Iknew sleep won’t come, not at this time. Iturned my memory to when I first saw herand I felt a headache from a part of my brain Idid not know exist. My boss probably put thatthere so anytime I thought her, I will realizewhat he has sent me and the likelyconsequence if I fail to bring her to him. Cometo think of it, what he asks of me is kind ofcrazy.

I am supposed to kill a girl I love enough tosteal her name out of the book of the livingjust like that? Considering that the police havea case of murders against and the only thingthey don’t have is the proof and now I amsupposed to give them what they want byactually killing someone.

But really, if I had allowed nature take itscourse and left her to die, I would not be inthis mess, all will still be fine with the worldand she will be where she ought to be.My mind fell back to the first time I saw her

My mind fell back to the first time I saw her. Iwas in secondary school then, 14 years oldand the most quite boy in the class. She was atransfer student from another state and theteacher brought her to sit beside me.

Immediately, I felt a stirring within me thatmade me feel like our destinies wereentwined* of course then, I did not believe inany of the stuff I am seeing now).

Her hair was black and long. Not a characteristic of the girls I have met, she gaveme this smile (or she just smile at everyone)that melted me when she took her seat. Andthat smile has been getting me in trouble eversince and now it will cause my life, soul anddefinitely, spirit.

My class was notorious for tormenting newstudents especially when that student lookedlike someone they could push around andwould be affected by their insults. At the heartof this crazy gang was john. John was atormentor and a good one. He always knewwhat to say to get anyone worked up and hewas kinda big, not too big but he seems likethe the kind of person you would not want tocross.

Immediately she sat down, I heard theremarks of fresh meat and they were justwaiting for the teacher to leave the classbefore they made her regret coming to thisschool and curse whoever it was thatsuggested that she was brought to this class.

The teacher left and then it started.John’s puppet Sunday walked up to her andasked for her name, she looked up and I wassure she though he was trying to be nice“Chidinma” came out of those lips“really? That’s nice where are you from”“I was born in the east but I have lived inaround here all my live”“so have you ever being to your town?”Then john came in with a reply that made thewhole class burst out laughingWhy have you lived around here all your life?Is it that your father could not afford a trip toyour village or he does not know the waythere?“Perhaps he is running from the witches thatis prevalent around your village”Then they went on and on for almost an hournon-stop with the names, laughter andhumiliation. I was so appalled, that I got upwalked to John and demanded that hestopped“I should stop? I have just started so just takeyour seat and enjoy”“I will not sit here and have you insult her”He smiled and said “what are you going todo”?At this point, his whole crew was gatheringaround me and I did the most amazing thingof my life then, I threw a punch at him.For a moment, I thought I struck him until myhand brushed beside his head into the air.He must have thought that I missed onpurpose because he stepped back and set hisfist in preparation for a beatdown

I almost did the same thing until I saw ourBiology teacher come into the class. Andyelled“Settle down”He walked past me and whispered “laterdude you and I will settle this”

How I felt from that moment could not bedescribed. How do you concentrate on thehuman digestive system when someone justtold you he was going to beat you up and itwas just a matter of time before school closesand you will be at the mercy of him and hisgang of miscreants?The teacher finished at the end of schoolbeing the last class period and my hour ofdoom had arrived. My throat was dry, I wasscared and beads of wet were beginning tobreak around my neck. I picked up my bagheaded for the door when my way wasblocked.“You are coming with us was the onlyexplanation I got”I maintained a straight face as I was notabout to fall apart in front of the girl I wastrying to impress I was taken to the back ofthe school where all the fights happened.

It was a construction site for an extension ofour school as some classes were being builtand the place was secluded from the mainschool so if you scream from now untileternity, no one would you.Word had gotten out that a fight was aboutto happen and half the school showed upexcited as though this was the real reasonthey came to school that day. John wasalready waiting for me and he was cursingsome words just to get the whole placehyped up and made sure I was scared.

I could feel tears building behind my eyes butI was not about to cry without being beatenwas I? Hell no I tightened my fist to givemyself some strength and everyone mistook itfor me getting ready to fight. john looked atme and dropped his bag.

Mine fell off my almost shaking hands and hesaid“you are dead”Those words were more hurtful than a punchbecause I knew where I was, no one wouldstop this fight until someone was bloody andon the floor and I knew it will be me.

He walked around a little more and said itagain. That was when I got pissed, I knew Iwas going to get beaten up but I just did notlike waiting for it. I wanted it done with and Iwanted to go home and the only way for thatto happen was if I attacked him first.

I felt my anger rising and as I took a steptowards john, he knew it was time and hewanted to take off his shirt so as not to getmy blood on his white shirt when I saw achance, his shirt was covering his head as hewas trying to take it off and I threw a punchwith all my strength into his midsection.

He bent over as the impact shocked him; Ithrew another one but this time in anydirection because I did not really careanymore. I continued like this for some timeand then he got away from me.

All this while he was still struggling with hisshirt and when he got away, he got thechance to take off the shirt. I then saw hisface, it was bloody and he did not care, hestarted running towards me and my angerwas also rising.

I looked to my side and saw a building block.One of the blocks they were using to buildand some of the students had used as postsduring a football game and I carried it just tomake him step back scare him into at leastslowing down the speed he was coming at mewith.

But he did not. He was blind with fury andwas charging like a wild bull.He was a couple more feet away from mewhen I brought the block down. Not that Ireally had strength in my arms but gravitybecame a very helpful ally. The block smashedinto his head and he fell motionless.

Dead? I did not really care; I just steppedback, grabbed my bag and left all of themthere. The dust from the block was still on myhands, shoes and trousers but I did not care. Iwon the fight. It was obvious everyonethought that because they did not resist myleaving I just walked and kept walking. A partof me was expecting John to come chargingat me from behind but I was too scared (orwas it angry?) to even care if he did or not.

If I thought that day was interesting, thenight was mind blowing. All the excitement ofme thrashing John did not go away. It wasexhilarating. Felt as if I was high on somestimulant and I felt a certain power in megrow.

A power I was able to tap during thefight something I did not understand andquite frankly, I still don’t understand but all Iknow was that it felt good. The next couple ofyear passed on quietly.

Chidinma heard about the fight, but for somereason, she did not ask me about it. Webecame friends and we were close until anevent happened just after our final examsthat will change my life and by extension,hers.

After our final paper, I out of joy went ondinner with a couple to celebrate ourfreedom from secondary school and we wentin pairs. Chidima was the closest thing I hadto a girlfriend and so, she was the one I tookwith me and in all honesty, it felt good.

We were done and I was walking her homeand was almost at her gate when shesuddenly stopped in the middle of her street,looked up and said“What a beautiful night”I did not care much about nights or stars butwhen I looked up, I saw that the moon wasout and full. The light it was reflecting back toearth was not like the sun which was orangebut white and it gave the whole surroundinga special effect.“not as beautiful as you I manage to say”“nothing is as beautiful as you”I saw her face widening up into a smile and alittle wind blew into her hair making hermore beautiful than usual“When will you ask me”?“ask you what I replied?I was standing in front of her looking almostthe same color as the moon. I had no ideawhat she was asking me.

I was standing in front of her looking almostthe same color as the moon. I had no ideawhat she was asking me. Truth be told, Ithought she had discovered some new badside about me that might get her angry orsomething.

“Peter, all these years we have been friendsbut don’t you think we should be honest withone another”?Still my mind was numb. No idea and not evena comeback came back from it. It was asthough it was on a vacation or something.She continued“I have seen you look at me in a certainmanner and I know you like me”I wanted to say something. Anything to eitherdispel or admit it but all I could manage was anod.“and I have to admit Peter, ever since youstepped up to John because of me, I haveliked you but I wanted you to make a move”I blurted a “yes”“But since you have not done that, I feel it isnecessary for me to help us out”“I like you peter and would like it a lot if youwill regard me as more than your friend andas a girlfriend”